BIGGBY COFFEE STORES BECOME SETTING FOR BLOSSOMING LOVE

BIGGBY COFFEE STORES BECOME SETTING FOR BLOSSOMING LOVE

Dates, marriage proposals and wedding ceremonies take place at popular, community-oriented coffee chain

EAST LANSING, Mich. Feb. 6, 2012 – Love may be on the minds of many people this time of year but at BIGGBY COFFEE, cupid it always seems to be in the air. Over the years, stores franchise-wide have been the scene of countless first dates, many turning into second and thirds, a few marriage proposals and even a wedding or two, as couples are brought together through their favorite coffee shop and the scene is set as relationships brew into love.

For Jeff and Brandi Tobe of Novi, MI in all stated in 2009 when the two met for the first time on a blind date at a local BIGGBY store. The couple found their fist common interest over their cups of coffee and BIGGBY quickly became “their spot.” Then, this past summer, the two tied the knot and after their ceremony, they ventured over to none other than their favorite BIGGBY for a photo session and of course, their favorite lattes!

“BIGBGY has been a huge part of our lives and we wanted to make sure we included them in our wedding day,” Jeff said. “It was a lot of fun and they even let us behind the counter to make our own drinks. They definitely went above and beyond for us.”

Store owner of the location, Mike Waltersdorf, said he credits his store’s sense of community and personable experience that leads to many people feeling like it’s a comfortable, intimate spot, for first, second or one-hundredth dates alike.

“It’s always nice to see a relationship blossom at BIGGBY,” Waltersdorf said. “It’s great to know my customers enjoy coming here enough to make it their date-night location and even more awesome when they have such a connection to the store that they come here to propose or stop in on their wedding day.”

A wedding is just what happened for Jeremy and Robin Morey at a local BIGGBY store in Lansing last November. When their plans for a court house ceremony were halted by a bomb threat in the building, their big day took an unexpected twist.

“We went to grab a coffee at BIGGBY across the street so we could figure out what to do next,” Jeremy said. “While in line, we noticed the judge was there too and it just clicked… we had the ceremony right then and there.”

Showered with gifts of coffee mugs and gift cards by perfect strangers and on-lookers at the store, Jeremy said he wouldn’t change a thing about it. “Everyone at the store was just so respectful and nice, that we felt like it was meant to be.”

For BIGGBY COFFEE CEO and co-founder, Bob Fish, it’s the blind dates, impromptu weddings and post-ceremony photo shoots that gives each store a special bond with their communities and shows the welcoming, feel-good approach the company was founded on.

“From the beginning, we have wanted each store to be seen as an extension of the community they are in. When customers involve our stores for some of the most special times of their lives, I really feel like we’ve accomplished that,” Fish said. “It not only shows the success of the company, but also that we have the best customers in the world.”

About BIGGBY COFFEE®
East Lansing, Mich.-based BIGGBY® COFFEE opened a single store in March of 1995 based on the founding principle that coffee-lovers and the coffee-curious alike would benefit from a less pretentious approach to the standard gourmet café paradigm. BIGGBY COFFEE introduced connoisseur-worthy drinks with pronounceable names like Teddy Bear and Caramel Marvel, and barista staff surprised guests with simple gestures like free kazoos and bouncy balls for no other reason than to brighten their day. The “Big ‘B’” on the orange background caught on, and today BIGGBY COFFEE has 142 cafes open or under contract across seven states including: Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, South Carolina, Wisconsin and Texas. For more information, visit www.biggby.com.